


Blood Brothers

by toujours_nigel



Category: Alexander Trilogy - Renault
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-19
Updated: 2010-03-19
Packaged: 2017-10-08 03:09:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/72067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toujours_nigel/pseuds/toujours_nigel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>guardroom gossip</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blood Brothers

“What, no trailing princeling?”

 

“Hasn’t been able to outrun or outwit Hellanike yet.”

 

“Our Menestas is a nursemaid, now.”

 

“And still a better soldier than you.”

 

“Oh, worming your way into the King’s favour, are you?”

 

“But not his bed, as you did.”

 

“But Philip thinks one harridan enough.”

 

“And likes them rather prettier.”

 

“Oh, peace, peace. I’ll speak no more against your precious Alexander, or his witch-mother.”

 

“And yet, you just did.”

 

“Enough, you both. Menestas, have you seen our newest man?”

 

“Ptolemy son of Lagos has won his belt, then?”

 

“Aye. Done his father proud.”

 

“Oh, I don’t know about his father.”

 

“Lagos seemed happy enough.”

 

“Well, and I’m not saying he didn’t, am I? But what thought his father?”

 

“Not that again. You’re worse than a woman.”

 

“Oh, it’s hardly a secret.”

 

“It’s hardly true.”

 

“Oh, but of course it is true.”

 

“And how do you know that?”

 

“Oh, have you looked at the boy?”

 

“Haven’t I? Always at court, now, strutting with his new belt.”

 

“The shine’ll wear off soon enough.”

 

“Oh, aye, aye. And what did your eyes tell you, when they looked at our young Ptolemy?”

 

“That he’ll never be a beauty?”

 

“Too old, besides.”

 

“A man for women, too.”

 

“Oh, and he’d have you, would he, were he not?”

 

“He might just have you, harpy, did we bind his eyes. Gods know you chatter enough.”

 

“We’d need bind his hands too—this sack of bones looks nothing like a woman.”

 

“Oh, witty, witty, Menestas.”

 

“I thought so, yes.”

 

“Looked he like Lagos to you, his vaunted son?”

 

“Not too like, nay.”

 

“Looked he like his father?”

 

“You cannot know his father is not Lagos.”

 

“Mayhap he looks like his mother.”

 

“Mayhap. But who he looks like is his uncle.”

 

“His uncle?”

 

“Oh, aye. The very picture of his uncle.”

 

“Yet Lagos is an only child.”

 

“But Ptolemy’s father is not.”

 

“We do not know this.”

 

“Looks he not like Amyntas, dead these many years?”

 

“He looks not unlike. But neither does Lagos.”

 

“Oh aye. Nobody can call Philip stupid.”

 

“Unlike you.”

 

“And there you go again, with your witty repartee. Why will you not believe that Ptolemy is no son of Lagos?”

 

“Why will you persist in believing that he is?”

 

“Because he is. Oh, come, Menestas, you know it too. Why else deny it so strongly?”

 

“Because it dishonours him.”

 

“Which him, I wonder. Oh, yes, Menestas, which him?”

 

“All of them.”

 

“Not simply your precious Alexander?”

 

“Say your piece, if you must.”

 

“Shut up. You two squabble like women.”

 

“Let him say his piece.”

 

“Oh, mocking me does not make it untrue, Menestas.”

 

“Keep saying it, then, on and on and on. You’re like one of the birds that speak the one sentence their masters have painstakingly taught them, and never know how little importance is given them.”

 

“And you a dog that barks at those who mean its master no harm.”

 

***

 

“Alexander!”

 

“Menestas.”

 

“What did you do to Hellanike now?”

 

“I did nothing to her.”

 

“No, of course not. He’s grown big. Next time you can make him bite your enemies.”

 

“He’s still growing.”

 

“Have you named him yet?”

 

“Friend.”

 

“That’s… it’s a good name. Where are you headed today?”

 

“I do not know, as yet.”


End file.
